We are excited to unveil the newest addition to the MetaDefender Optical Diode portfolio: the Fend XE50 - engineered for environments demanding both high security and robust throughput. With a maximum throughput of 50 Mbps, the Fend XE50 sets a new standard in secure, small-form-factor, one-way data flow for ICS (industrial control systems), OT networks, and critical infrastructure.
Why MetaDefender Optical Diode Matters
In many industrial and critical infrastructure settings, the ability to safely transmit data out of a secured or air-gapped network (for monitoring, analytics, or cloud systems etc.) is essential — but doing so without the right equipment risks exposing networks to inbound threats. The Fend XE50 eliminates this risk by delivering:
- True optical isolation: one-way data flow is optically enforced at the hardware level, ensuring no inbound path for malicious or unintended network traffic.
- High throughput for demanding use cases: 50 Mbps transfer speeds support higher-frequency and higher-volume one-way data transfers without bottlenecking operations.
- Industrial ruggedness & field deployment readiness in a small form factor: designed to coexist physically alongside the equipment it protects, with DIN-rail or panel mounting options, robust power design, and tamper resistance.
- Priced for large scale deployment: Designed to be a cost-effective solution to be deployed at scale across critical infrastructure assets.
Whether you're sending real-time sensor streams, log files that could indicate a network intrusion, or subsystem status information, the Fend XE50 enables you to do so securely, reliably, and at scale.
Key Capabilities & Protocol Support
MetaDefender Optical Diode (Fend) supports a broad and flexible set of protocols to integrate seamlessly into your environment.
Important Features & Security Highlights
Beyond 50 Mbps throughput, MetaDefender Optical Diode (Fend) XE50 offers several security- and deployment-focused features:
Optical Isolation
Ensures physical one-way data flow, preventing any reverse traffic or data exfiltration from entering protected networks
Anti-Tamper Protection
Built-in mechanisms to detect and resist physical interference
Power Loss Protection
Maintains operation or recovers through power outages
DDoS / DoS Resilience
Onboard protections guard against denial-of-service or flooding attacks targeted at the diode
Separate Power Supplies
Electrical isolation between input and output power rails guards against side-channel leaks over power wiring
Ease of Configuration
Fully browser-based GUI: select input/output interfaces, protocols, configure network settings—setup takes only minutes
Rugged Industrial Design
Suitable for deployment in industrial environments, DIN-rail or panel mountable, CE/ FCC tested
These features combined make the XE50 especially suited for deployment in high-assurance environments where security and uptime are equally critical.
Deployment Use Cases & Industries
The Fend XE50 is built specifically for the needs of operational technology (OT) and critical infrastructure sectors. Typical use cases include:
- Real-time streaming of sensor data and machine analytics from factory floors
- Secure export of event logs, syslog, and diagnostic data
- Integration with cloud-based monitoring or predictive maintenance platforms
- Protecting networks in energy & utilities, oil & gas, water/wastewater, transportation, critical facilities, and more
By isolating mission-critical control networks while still enabling outward data visibility, the optical diode empowers organizations to modernize operations securely.
Why Now & What’s Next
With more industrial systems being digitized and connected, the demand for secure, high-assurance data transfer is rising fast. Many existing diodes in the market hit throughput ceilings or lack protocol flexibility. Fend XE50 addresses those needs head-on, allowing organizations to scale data transfer, increase observability, and adopt predictive operations—without compromising security.
